Blackout: A new adult fantasy romance (Men of the Queen's Court Book 1) by Wanda Swan

Author:Wanda Swan [Swan, Wanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Swan Publishing
Published: 2023-11-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

Josephine

On the pretext of powdering my nose, I left Ben and took a walk around the venue while he got us some drinks. The crowd is obviously wealthy—the women in designer gowns of black or white to match the theme and dripping in jewels, the men in tuxes with hundred-thousand-dollar watches sparkling on their wrists.

Invisible sentries are stationed around the inside and outside of the ballroom—the Gorm—Ash and Nina’s royal guard. I recognize them from a long-ago trip to Avalon. Even though they’re not visible to the naked eye, I sense their magic and violence. The Gorm are well known for hunting humans for sport. If the humans knew how close they were to death right now, they would flee this room as fast as their dress-shoed feet could carry them. But they don’t sense the danger, so they dance, drink and mingle as if nothing can touch them. Happy to receive the most sought-after invitation of the year, to see the king and queen of Avalon in the flesh and bask in their supernatural beauty and appeal.

Triple-checking that my magic is securely pushed down with only my green witch facade on display for anyone vigilant, I search the room, looking for any faces from my former life. Any sign that the coven might know where I am. Like at the wine show, there aren’t any. Still, I really shouldn’t be here. Even with my high ponytail and floor-length black chiffon column dress, I’m playing pretend. This level of wealth and glamour is not my life—not my past and most certainly not my future. Under the thin veneer of my expensive dress is a ditch witch from the wrong side of the tracks who has no business rubbing elbows with the elite.

In the quiet after our frenzied first time together yesterday, Ben asked me to come with him to this little charity thing his sister-in-law was hosting. When I started to decline, he reminded me with a teasing smile that we were already Earthside, and without his help, I couldn’t get back to Westmoreland anyway. In the security of his arms with his lips pressed to my temple, I said yes. He caught me in a weak moment. Ben does that. I let down my guard with him. If I knew how he keeps getting me to say yes to things I should be saying no to, I’d stop. But that’s the problem. I don’t know why he can talk me into doing things that no one else can.

But my lack of social status and the fact that I’m being hunted by a powerful coven are not the only problems. Years ago, when I was still working Earthside on a farm in Florida, the former queen of Avalon summoned me to her. She felt my power in her territory even though I thought I had it securely under wraps. I was wrong, and she pulled me to her island stronghold and demanded that I do her bidding—create a spell, that upon her death, would seal her magic in an ancient dagger.

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